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- DictionaryThe cold light of day
- ▪ the objective realities of a situation
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Feb 29, 2024 · The meaning of IN THE COLD LIGHT OF DAY is in the day when things can be seen clearly rather than at night —sometimes used figuratively. How to use in the cold light of day in a sentence.
idiom. Add to word list. If you think about something in the cold light of day, you think about it clearly and calmly, without the emotions you had at the time it happened, and you often feel sorry or ashamed about it: The next morning, in the cold light of day, Sarah realized what a complete idiot she had been.
May 28, 2024 · in the cold light of day. if you think about a problem, feeling, or event in the cold light of day, you think about it some time later and in a calmer or more practical way than was possible at the time it happened.
Idioms and Phrases. Dispassionately, unemotionally, especially at a later time. For example, They had a terrible fight about the mix-up, but in the cold light of day they realized they were both at fault . This expression transfers the illumination of daylight to rational understanding and uses cold to emphasize the lack of passion.
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Probably an allusion to a situation being seen more clearly in daylight, and after some time has passed. The word coldis used in the sense of “dispassionate; not prejudiced or partisan; impartial”.
(Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ɪn‿ðə ˈkəʊld laɪt‿əv ˈdeɪ/(General American) IPA(key): /ɪn‿ðə ˈkoʊld laɪt‿əv ˈdeɪ/Rhymes: -eɪin the cold light of day 1. Viewed calmly and dispassionately after allowing emotions to cool or after having sobered up. 1.1. Antonym: in the heat of the moment 1.2. In the cold light of day, I felt I had overreacted. 1.1. 1912 March, Burton E[gbert] Stevenson, “Preparations”, in The Mystery of the Boule Cabinet: A Detective Story, New York, N.Y.:...
“in the cold light of day”, in Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, 1999–present.“in the cold light of day” (US) / “in the cold light of day” (UK) in Macmillan English Dictionary.“in the cold light of day”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.“in the cold light of day” in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Longman.From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English in the cold light of day in the morning, when you can think clearly or see something clearly The house seemed less threatening in the cold light of day. → cold Examples from the Corpus in the cold light of day • Night-time madness isn't appealing, seen in the cold light of day.
Dispassionately, unemotionally, especially at a later time. For example, They had a terrible fight about the mix-up, but in the cold light of day they realized they were both at fault. This expression transfers the illumination of daylight to rational understanding and uses cold to emphasize the lack of passion.
